Article sorting machine



D. M. M BEAN ARTICLE SORTING MACHINE Nov. 13, 1934.

2 Sheets -Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 4. 1932 INVENTOR,

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Nov. 13, 1934.

D. M. M BEAN ARTICLE SORTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 4, 1932 INVENTOR; v ify. M FBean Doug/a 16 ATTORNEYS. I

Patented Nov. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES ARTICLE SORTING MACHINE Douglas M. McBean', Oanajoharie, N. Y., assignor to Beech-Nut Packing Company, Canajoharie,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 4, 1932, Serial No. 636,125

12 Claims.

My invention relates to machines for handling articles, and has special reference to machines for sorting disk-shaped articles such as hard candies preliminary to assembling and wrapping the articles in rolls.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a novel and improved machine which is capable of sorting articles with respect to their thickness and evenness, and also sorting out irregular and broken pieces.

Another of the objects of my invention is to provide a machine of the character indicated which is capable of operation without subjecting the articles to sudden shocks or jars that would in the case of hard candies, such as fruit drops,

be liable to result in breaking or pieces chipping off.

The several features of the invention will be readily understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a machine embodying the features of the invention in their preferred form;

and

Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatical views illustrating the operation of certain parts of the machine.

The frame of the machine illustrated in the drawings is provided with front and rear end members 2 and 3 that are connected by side members 4 in the form of channel irons. Mounted between these frame members are two rolls 6 horizontally arranged side by side and spaced apart, and between these rolls is a rocking bar 8.

The rolls 6 are mounted on shafts 10 that extend through bearing blocks 12 on the end frame members 2 and 3. The bearing blocks are secured to the frame members by bolts or screws 14 which extend through slots in the blocks so as to provide for vertical adjustment of the rolls. The shaft of one of the two rolls is driven from the shaft of an electric motor 16 through a belt 18 that passes over pulleys on the motor shaft and said roll shaft. The other roll is driven through intermeshing gears 20 secured on the two roll shafts. Through this mechanism the two rolls are driven in opposite directions so as to cause the inner surface portions of both of them to travel upwardly.

The rocking bar 8 has reduced ends thatextend through and are journaled in blocks 22 secured on the end frame members. The rocking bar is actuated by a rod 24 having its end pivoted 55 on corresponding ends of the bar and oneof the Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation of the machine;

through the spaces 32.

being incapable of passing through the spaces roll shafts 10, the pivotal connections being eccentric of the bar and'shaft.

Each of'the rolls is provided with a spirally arranged projecting rib 26 of a pitch slightly greaterthan the diameter of the articles to be acted 6 upon, the outer peripheries of the spiral rib being arranged closely adjacentthe surface of the rocking bar. v

, The rocking bar 8 is cylindrical except for the top portion thereof which is provided with a fiat surface 28. The forward portion of this bar may be of slightly greater diameter than the remaining portion so that the spaces 30 between it and the cylindrical surfaces of the roll 6 are slightly less than the spaces 32 that are between the remaining rear portion of the bar andsaid cylindrical surfaces of the rolls. The axis of the rocking bar 8 is preferably spaced slightly below the plane of the axes of the rolls as indicated in Figs.

3 and 4. v i 7 In the operation of the machine, the candies or other articles 33 to be sorted are delivered in suitable quantity upon the forward end portion of the rocking bar. The rocking bar tends to move the candies firsttoward one of the rolls and then towards the other. As the flat surface 28 of the bar is inclined toward one of the rolls, the candies tend to slide flatwise down said flat surface so as to project the'advancing end thereof into the space between the bar and the rolls. As the bar moves in the opposite direction, the flat surface tends to tilt the candies into vertical position so as to direct them edgewise down through said space. The candies, however, can pass down through said space only between the convolutions of the spiral ribs 26. The rotation of the rolls in a direction to cause their inner surface portions to travel upwardly, tends to cause the candies in contact therewith to be moved longitudinally of the rolls, and this in turn tends to workthem flatwise betweenthe convolutions of the spiral ribs. 4

During the passage of the candies the length of the spaces 30, those of the candies of less than 100 standard thickness and broken pieces are permitted to pass downthrough' the spaces 30. Those of' a standard thickness or greater are conveyed by the spirally ribbed rolls to the rear portion of the bar, and as they pass along this portion any candies of said standard thickness work down Those candiesof greater than said standard thickness or those .that are provided with projections such as indicated at 35, n0

32, are carried by the spiral ribs to the rear ends of the rolls from which they are discharged.

Any convenient means such as conveyor belts (not shown) may be provided for separately receiving the pieces that drop from the spaces 30, the spaces 32, and the rear ends of the rolls.

Thus as the candies pass through the machine, those candies of standard thickness and free from projections, are separated from the others as they pass down through the spaces 32, andare then ready to be assembled in rolls in the usual manner and wrapped.

It will be apparent that by operating the machine at a suitable speed, the candies may be sorted out as above described without subjecting them to shock or jar that would be likely to cause them.

to break or pieces chip off.

The machine may be easily adjusted for candies or other articles of different thicknesses by, ver; tical adjustment of the rolls 6 as above described,

so as to vary the spaces between-the rolls and,

the rocking bar. I

As will be evident to those skilled in the art, my invention permits various modifications Without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the. appended claims.

What I claim is: 1. In a machine for handling disk-shaped articles of the class described, two rolls horizontally arranged side by side and spaced apart, a

rocking bar arranged between the rolls having cylindrical surface portions respectively spaced predetermined distances from the cylindrical surfaces of'the' rolls, means for rotating the rolls ticles of the class described, two rolls horizon-' in opposite directions so as to cause their inner surface portions to travel upwardly, and means for oscillating the bar in timed relation thereto.

2. In a machine for handling disk-shaped artally arranged side by side and spaced apart, a cylindrical rocking bar arranged between the rolls havingits cylindrical surface spaced predetermined distances from the cylindrical surfaces of the rolls, 'said'bar having its top portion flattened, means for rotating the rolls in opposite'directions so as to cause their inner surface portions to travel upwardly, and means for oscillating the bar in timed relation'thereto.

' 3. In a machine for handling disk-shaped articles of the class described, two rolls horizontally arranged side by side and spaced apart, a rocking bar arranged between the rolls having cylindrical surface portions respectively spaced predetermined distances from the cylindrical surfaces of the rolls, the axis of the rocking bar being. spaced slightly below theplane of the axes of. the rolls,

'meansfor rotating the rolls in opposite directions so as to cause their inner surface portions to travel upwardly, and means for oscillating the bar in timed relation thereto. J

.4. In a machine for handling disk-shaped articles of the class described, two rolls horizontally arrangedside by side and spaced apart, a rocking bar arranged between the rolls having cylindrical surface portions respectively spaced articles of the class described, two rolls arranged side by side and spaced apart, a rocking bar arranged between the rolls having a plurality of longitudinal portions having cylindrical surface portions spaced different distance from the cylindrical surfaces of the rolls, means for rotating the rolls in opposite directions so as to cause their inner surface portions to travel upwardly, and means for oscillating the bar in timed relation thereto.

6. In a machine for handling disk-shaped articles of the class described, two rolls horizontally arranged side by side and spaced apart, a rocking bar arranged between the rolls having cylindrical surface portions spaced predetermined distances from the cylindrical surfaces of the rolls, means for rotating the rolls in opposite directions so as to cause their inner surface portions to travel upwardly, and means for oscillating the rocking bar in timed relation thereto, said rolls having provision of means tending to cause articles entering the spaces between the" rolls and the rocking bar to travellongitudinally of the rolls.

7. In a machine for handling disk-shaped artiarranged side by side and spaced apart, a rocking bar arranged between the rolls having cylindrical surface portions spaced predetermined distances from the cylindrical surfaces of the rolls means for rotating the rolls in opposite directions so as to cause theirinner surface portions to travel upwardly, and means for oscillating'the bar in timed relation thereto, said rolls having provision of means tending to cause articles entercles of the class described, two'rolls'horizontally ing the spaces between the rolls and the rocking bar to travel longitudinally of the rolls, said lastmentioned means comprising spirally arranged ribs on the rolls.

8. In a machine for handling disk-shaped articles of the class described, a roll horizontally arranged, a rocking bar arranged parallel with the roll having a cylindrical surface portion spaced a predetermined'distance from the cylindrical surface of the roll, means for continuously the roll having a cylindrical surface portion spaced a predetermined distance from the cylindrical surface of the roll, means for rotating the .125 articles of the'class described, a roll horizontally arranged, a rocking bar arranged parallel with roll in a direction so as to cause the surface portion thereof adjacent the rocking bar to travel upwardly, and means for oscillating the rocking bar in timed relation thereto, saidroll. having a spirally arranged rib'of a pitch slightlygreater than.

the width of the articles, and

into said space. a

10. In a machine 'for handling disk-shaped articles of theclass described, 'aroll horizontally arranged,'a .rocking bar arranged parallel with.

the roll having a cylindrical surface; portion spaced a predetermined distance from the-cylinbar in' timedvrelation thereto, said .roll having provision of means tending to cause the-articles entering'the spaces between the bar and the roll to travelin one direction longitudinally of the roll.-

said rib extending" 11. In a machine for handling disk-shaped articles of the class described, two rolls horizontally arranged side by side and spaced apart, each of the rolls having a spirally arranged rib of a pitch slightly greater than the diameter of the articles to be acted upon, a cylindrical rocking bar arranged between and spaced a predetermined distance from the cylindrical surface of the rolls, said rocking bar having its top surface fiat, means for rotating the rolls in opposite directions so as to cause their inner surface portions to travel upwardly, and means for oscillating the bar in timed relation thereto.

12. In a machine for handling disk-shaped articles of the class described, two rolls horizontally arranged with their axes parallel, a rocking bar positioned between the rolls and having cylindrical surface portions spaced predetermined distances from the cylindrical surface of the rolls,

means for rotating said rolls in opposite directions and means for rocking said bar in timed relation thereto, said bar and said rolls being so relatively positioned and said bar having its top portion so shaped as to cause the disk-shaped articles when delivered thereto to be fed endwise, upon rocking of the bar, to the space between the bar and the rolls and to cooperate with the cylindrical surface of the rolls to turn the articles and cause the same to pass edgewise through said space.

DOUGLAS M. McBEAN. 

